Normative feminism reflects on the process of International Relations theorizing as part of a normative agenda for global change.
‘All forms of feminist theorising are normative, in the sense that they help us to question certain meanings and interpretations in IR theory’ (Sylvester 2002: 248).
Feminists are self-consciously explicit about the position from which they are theorizing, how they enter the International Relations field and go about their research.
They view their social and political context and subjectivity as part of theoretical explanation.
Empirical feminism and gender analysis are important contributions, but they are only starting points for feminist goals of transforming global social hierarchies (Persram 1994; Ship 1994; Hutchings 2000; Robinson forthcoming).
Feminist theorists bring the insights of feminist praxis – for instance, care ethics and Third World women’s social activism – to bear on debates about international ethics, humanitarian aid and intervention and human rights instruments (Cochran 1999; Robinson 1999; Hutchings 2000; Ackerly 2000).
Gender is a transformative category, not because once we understand it at work we can deconstruct or do away with it,